


dreams unwind, love's a state of mind

by holtzbabe



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F, Music, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 11:49:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7843777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holtzbabe/pseuds/holtzbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holtzmann loves music. Her tastes are just as eclectic as she is: 80s pop, classic rock, hip hop in a language that sounds Scandinavian, movie soundtracks, death metal (for two months straight after they caught their first ghost at the concert), and just about everything else under the sun. She loves it all. The second floor lab is always alive with music, and the louder it is the more delicate the project being worked on. It’s endearing. It’s annoying. It’s Holtzmann.</p><p>She loves singing, too, but only the most special individuals are allowed to hear that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dreams unwind, love's a state of mind

**Author's Note:**

> This was a Tumblr prompt from my fave (lil-peanutt on Tumblr, who you should all follow because she's amazing and she's been drawing scenes from some of my other fics and making me cry in the process). Hope this is even remotely what you wanted! And thank you for helping me out with this and picking the song! It ended up working quite well (at least I think it did, hope you agree).
> 
> "Rhiannon" lyrics copyright Fleetwood Mac, 1975

One night, after a slow day during a slow week, Erin looks up from the book she’s been reading and realizes that half the lights in the firehouse are off. Perhaps more concerning: there’s nobody to be seen. She checks her watch, then almost does a double take. It’s nearly 11:00pm. The other women must’ve left hours ago. Had she completely missed them saying goodbye?

It wouldn’t be the first time she’s been so absorbed in her work that the outside world has slipped past her.

She marks her place in the book—a compelling read that supports some of the theories she’s been working on recently—and stands, stretching her arms overhead and circling her head to unkink her neck. When was the last time she moved? Dinner? When was that, four hours ago? She heads over to the coat rack and grabs her coat and purse, then freezes at the noises coming from upstairs. She peers up the stairs at the light and the unmistakable sound of Holtzmann tinkering. What is she doing here so late?

Maybe she lost track of time, too. Erin owes it to her to go inform her of what time it is, she decides as she climbs the stairs. She definitely doesn’t just want an excuse to talk to her favourite nuclear engineer. Absolutely not.

She reaches the top with a prepared greeting on her tongue, but it dies there before she can even open her mouth. Holtz is sitting across the lab, bent over her work with her back to Erin. She’s wearing a black tank top with her jumpsuit tied around her waist, and the smooth curve of her shoulders is enough to turn Erin’s mouth very dry.

There’s no music playing, for once, but Holtz is humming. Very quietly, like she’s not even aware that she’s doing it. Erin recognizes the tune at the same moment that Holtz starts singing.

_Erin rings like a bell through the night and_

_Wouldn’t you love to love her_

_Takes to the sky like a bird in flight and_

_Who will be her lover?_

Erin’s mouth hangs open. She’s never heard such a beautiful singing voice in her whole life. Husky and light all at the same time, melodious and melancholic. All she can do is stare, wide-eyed and dreamy, like she’s under a spell. She could listen to this forever. Forever, forever, for—wait, did Holtzmann say _Erin_ rings?

Holtz is still singing.

_All your life you’ve never seen_

_A woman taken by the wind_

Erin can’t help herself, it’s one of her favourite songs, and the next lyrics tumble out of her open mouth before she can stop them.

_Would you stay if she promised you heaven?_

Holtzmann stops singing, jumps, and wrenches around to face Erin with a horrified look on her face. The next line peters out and Erin clamps her lips shut, blushing hard.

“You scared the crap outta me, Gilbert,” Holtz says, “I had no clue anyone was still here!”

“Sorry,” Erin says quietly, “I lost track of time. And I figured you must’ve too, so I was coming up to tell you to go home. And then I got distracted.”

“By?” The corners of Holtzmann’s mouth twitch up into a bit of a smirk.

“Your singing. You have a beautiful voice. Like, exceptionally beautiful. The best singing I’ve ever heard.” Erin cuts herself off, blushing harder. Come on, at least try to play it cool, Erin.

Holtz beams. “Shucks, Dr. Gilbert. You know how to flatter a girl. You sounded pretty damn great too, from what I heard before I so rudely interrupted you. Please continue.”

“Me? I…” Erin stutters.

Holtzmann starts humming the tune again, smiling at Erin in an encouraging way. Erin takes a deep breath and begins before she can overthink it.

_She is like a cat in the dark and then_

_She is the darkness_

_She rules her life like a fine skylark and when_

_The sky is starless_

Holtzmann has been listening with an adoring smile on her face. She stands up and starts walking towards Erin, and she joins in, their voices harmonizing effortlessly.

_All your life you’ve never seen_

_A woman taken by the wind_

_Would you stay if she promised you heaven?_

_Will you ever win?_

_Will you ever win?_

They both fall silent. Holtzmann is right in front of her now, smiling like the sun.

“Hypothesis confirmed: you are wonderful at singing,” Holtz says.

“I…thank you. Not as good as you,” Erin says. Bashfully, like she’s a shy little kid. She feels like a shy little kid. And then— “You said Erin. Instead of Rhiannon. Did I imagine that?” she blurts before she can filter herself.

Holtzmann looks flustered. That’s a first. “Shit. Was hoping you didn’t hear that.”

“Why?”

“Why did I say it or why was I hoping you didn’t hear?”

“Both?” Erin cocks her head to the side.

Holtz brings one elbow above her and scratches her head, almost comically. She looks sheepish. Then she unhooks her yellow-lensed glasses from one ear and lets them dangle from the other. “I. Um.” She clears her throat. “It fits so well in the song, rhymes and everything, and…I feel weird singing another girl’s name when there’s only one girl on my mind? And uh…I didn’t want you to hear because my explanation is really creepy sounding?”

Erin’s mouth falls open for the second time that night. “Sorry?” she squeaks.

Holtz sighs, her brow furrowing. “You’re going to make me say it again? Okay. I like you, Erin. Have for a long time. And uh, I can’t stop thinking about you. And singing about you, apparently. What is this, an 80s movie musical? Actually, I kind of love those. Don’t tell anyone. Um. Do you ever just start talking and then you can’t stop yourself? It’s like trying to stop a freight train. Or an explosion. It’s really hard to stop an explosion once it’s started. I would know, because I—”

“Holtz.”

“Yeah?”

“Stop talking and come kiss me.” Whoa, where did _that_ come from? Erin hasn’t been this bold since…well, she’s never been this bold.

Holtz seems equally as stunned. “What?”

“I said, stop talking and—”

“Don’t need to tell me twice. Just making sure I heard you right.”

Then she steps closer, placing her hands on Erin’s waist, and Erin throws her arms around Holtz’ neck to bring her in, knocking the glasses from her ear and sending them clattering to the ground, and they keep moving closer until their lips meet somewhere in the middle. Soft, slow, rhythmic, electric, harmonious.

It’s music.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at holtzmannerin and we can fangirl about Holtzbert and Ghostbusters together. You can also send me prompts, but I'm a little backlogged at the moment so I can't make any promises!


End file.
